PASTOR’S NOTES

Church law defines “a parish…(as)…a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church (diocese), whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor…under the authority of the…bishop.” (c. 515) Recognizing the present dearth of priestly vocations the canons permit the participation of deacons or non-ordained personnel in the “exercise of the pastoral care of a parish.” (c. 517:2) however, it must always be under the direction of a priest. “the pastor…of the parish entrusted to him…(exercises)…the pastoral care of the community committed to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share, so that for that same community he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing, also with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful, according to the norm of law.” (c.519) “To become a pastor validly, one must be in the sacred order of the presbyterate…Moreover, he is to be outstanding in sound doctrine and integrity of morals and endowed with zeal for souls and other virtues; he is also to possess those qualities which are required by universal or particular law to care for the parish in question.” (c. 521) “A pastor must possess stability and therefore is to be appointed for an indefinite period of time. The diocesan bishop can appoint him only for a specific period if the conference of bishops has permitted this by a decree.”  (c. 522) It should be recognized that most parishes are territorial. Personal parishes can be formed when the necessity arises. Bishops have, for example, erected national parishes to look after the needs of various language groups: Italian, German, Slovak, Polish, etc. Additionally, our colleges frequently act as parish homes for those who work, teach, and learn on their campuses. Again, as a result of the shortage of priests, we witness men with little experience being called upon to lead faith communities. Bishops are attempting to deal with this reality by improving seminary curricula as well as by appointing experienced pastors as mentors. Archbishop Dolan for example, has called upon some of our senior and retired priests to guide and encourage our junior clergy. Though the law and prevailing thought of the Roman Curia favors tenure for one appointed a pastor, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops applied to Rome for a rescript to permit its members to designate terms of office. Since their desire was met, the bishops of American have set up various schedules. From the time of Cardinal Cooke the New York Archdiocese has operated on a basis of a six year term repeated once. Lately, some pastors have received three, four, and five terms of renewal. One should note that the promise of obedience to our bishop supercedes any formal number in years. All priests must be responsive to the call of their shepherd to serve where they will be most needed.

The law calling for men of spiritual depth, theological expertise, and human maturity focuses the attention of all on the munera of the pastor. The meaning of this Latin word can be expressed in many ways, none of which are completely sufficient: responsibilities, obligations, privileges , or my favorite: burdens. The relevant canons state: “A pastor is obliged to make provision so that the word of God is proclaimed in its entirety to those living in the parish; for this reason, he is to take care that the lay members of the Christian faithful are instructed in the truths of the faith, especially by giving a homily on Sundays and holydays of obligation and by offering catechetical instruction. He is to foster works through which the spirit of the gospel is promoted, even in what pertains to social justice. He is to have particular care for the Catholic education of children and youth. He is to make every effort, even with the collaboration of the Christian faithful, so that the message of the gospel comes also to those who have ceased the practice of their religion or do not profess the true faith…The pastor is to see to it that the Most Holy Eucharist is the center of the parish assembly of the faithful. He is to work so that the Christian faithful are nourished through the devout celebration of the sacraments and, in a special way, that they frequently approach the sacraments of the Most Holy Eucharist and penance. He is also to endeavor that they are led to practice prayer even as families and take part consciously and actively in the sacred liturgy which, under the authority of the diocesan bishop, the pastor must direct in his own parish and is bound to watch over so that no abuses creep in.” (c. 528) Further, “in order to fulfill office diligently, a pastor is to strive to know the faithful entrusted to his care. Therefore he is to visit families, sharing especially in the cares, anxieties, and grief of the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord, and prudently correcting them is they are failing in certain areas. With generous love he is to help the sick, particularly those close to death, by refreshing them solicitously with the sacraments and commending their souls to God; with particular diligence he is to seek out the poor, the afflicted, the lonely, those exiled from their country, and similarly those weighted down by special difficulties. He is to work so that spouses and parents are supported in fulfilling their proper duties and is to foster growth of Christian life in the family…A pastor is to recognize and promote the proper part which the lay members of the Christian faithful have in the mission of the Church, by fostering their associations for the purposes of religion. He is to cooperate with his own bishop and the presbyterium of the diocese, also working so that the faithful have concern for parochial communion, consider themselves members of the diocese and of the universal Church, and participate in and sustain efforts to promote this same communion.” (c. 529) Some reflections on these two canons are in order. It is patently obvious that even for the most saintly person the ministry foreseen by them is most daunting. The most effective pastor, therefore, must be first: a man of prayer. Additionally, he requires the prayerful support of the church, particularly the community he leads. Also, the existence of so many tasks reminds all that ministry is a collaborative effort. (This aspect will be discussed more extensively next week.) Finally, it is important to realize especially in view of discussions of parish and diocesan planning, a larger perspective in our mission of proclaiming the Good News.

As the end of summer nears, may God strengthen us for the work He has begun and which we are called to continue.

Vivat Jesus,

Fr. Brian